Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 812: Surprise attack on Nanyang, forcing them to return for reinforcements!

"Yes!" Unlike Fan Zeng's deep voice, Yi Xiaochuan's response was like a sword unsheathed, clear and short, imbued with unquenchable excitement and strength. He straightened his back, his gaze blazing, and he clearly heard the hidden meaning in Xiang Yu's words! Scouting was just a facade; the cavalry's standby was the real deal! Xiang Yu's heart was ultimately set on "fighting!" He needed "absolute confidence," not "abandoning the opportunity"! This was undoubtedly a profound endorsement and support for Yi Xiaochuan's strategic vision.

Yi Xiaochuan suppressed his excitement, which threatened to overflow with words, but the glint in his eyes was unmistakable. He quickly deduced the next steps in his mind: How to help the scouts obtain key intelligence? How to ensure that the cavalry could be deployed to the battlefield immediately? How to maximize the use of Yangping Pass as a fulcrum?

Of course, beneath this fervor for Western Chu, Yi Xiaochuan also burned a more intense, personal flame—revenge! His blood feud with Gao Yao had long been a mortal enemy. Now, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself! The scouts' latest intelligence fragments quickly pieced together in his mind: Although the main force of the capital relocation team had passed, within Xianyang City, the core of Gao Yao's ruling group must be located!

His thoughts instantly focused on a crucial, alluring point that could even change the course of the war: Gao Yao's family! His loved ones! Furthermore, the families of the generals and officials who had followed Gao Yao and now held important positions in the Southern Border Army! Most of them should have arrived in Xianyang by now, awaiting further relocation or resettlement! These people were the most vulnerable and inseparable link in Gao Yao's regime!

"If we can capture Xianyang in one fell swoop..." Yi Xiaochuan's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a sense of almost cruel excitement hit him. "That wouldn't just be as simple as defeating an army or capturing a city! That would mean holding Gao Yao's heart! It would mean holding the throats of his henchmen!" Just imagine, when Gao Yao learned that his wife and children had fallen into enemy hands, and when the generals who fought for him on the front lines learned that their families had been captured, what would happen to the morale of the army? What a devastating blow would that be to the foundation of Gao Yao's rule? This was a business that was absolutely profitable, a sure win! The destructive power it would cause was far greater than annihilating tens of thousands of his troops on the battlefield!

This thought coiled around Yi Xiaochuan like a venomous snake, giving him an unprecedented, almost obsessive desire to "capture Xianyang." This wasn't just for the sake of Western Chu's hegemony, but also for Yi Xiaochuan's personal revenge! He wanted to make Gao Yao feel the heartbreak and the feeling of being deserted by his friends and family!

Xiang Yu's sharp gaze swept over the two men's contrasting reactions. Fan Zeng's deep desolation and Yi Xiaochuan's nearly flaming excitement formed a jarring contrast. He understood, but didn't point it out. As king, he needed a different voice, and a sword that could enforce his will. He waved his hand, his voice carrying undeniable authority: "Everyone, go down and prepare. As soon as the scouts have any news, report immediately! No delay!"

"I'll take my leave." Fan Zeng bowed deeply, his figure seemed a little hunched, and he turned around and left with heavy steps.

"I obey your command!" Yi Xiaochuan saluted with his fists clasped in a crisp, decisive gesture, his eyes gleaming with determination as he followed him out of the tent. As he left the camp, the biting night wind blew against him, but it couldn't dispel the burning heat in his heart. He took a deep breath, gazed toward the unseen darkness in the direction of Xianyang, and a cold, resolute smile curled his lips.

Even as Xiang Yu debated the strategic strategy of Yangping Pass in his tent, war was already raging across Wu Can's three counties. Gao Yao's cold yet efficient war machine, acting on his will, divided his troops into three groups, like three giant plowshares, ruthlessly ploughing down Wu Can's precarious territory.

Aside from Ying Bu's Nanjun advance, the other two armies were unstoppable, a scene of unstoppable progress. Gao Yao, a master of human nature, had already quietly woven a web of gold, promises, and threats into the disaffected cities under Wu Can's rule long before he decided to act. Wu Can's rule had long since lost the support of the people: his father, Wu Rui, had been captured and his whereabouts unknown, yet he remained absorbed in debauchery and extravagance at home, imposing heavy taxes to support his extravagant lifestyle, and paying no heed to the lives of the soldiers on the front lines or the suffering of the common people. Any officer or general with a modicum of insight could see that it was only a matter of time before this shabby ship would sink.

Therefore, when the Southern Border Army's imposing array, their flags bearing the Chinese character "高" (Gao) fluttering, appeared on the horizon, many cities reacted not with resistance but with relief. The flags symbolizing Wu Can were hastily lowered from the city walls, and the gates slowly opened under the complex gazes of the defending generals. County magistrates and garrisons, clutching seals and household registers, knelt before the galloping Southern Border Army generals with a mixture of fear, fawning, and relief. There was little real fighting; cities, like ripe fruits, fell into Gao Yao's grasp with a single touch.

In just seven days! In just seven days! The two southern frontiers advanced at an astonishing pace. Even before the dust kicked up by their horses' hooves had settled, news of their victory streamed like snowflakes to the command center in Gao Yao. Twenty-three counties had changed their flags!

This meant that most of the land and population in the other two counties held by Wu Can had already changed their surnames to Gao! The rapid advancement of the front line not only greatly boosted the morale of the Southern Border Army, but also struck like a heavy hammer on the already precarious morale of Wu Can's remaining troops, causing panic to spread like a plague.

But against this backdrop of unstoppable force, Ying Bu's army in the direction of Nanjun encountered a completely different kind of stubborn resistance, as if they had hit a stubborn rock covered with thorns.

The reason was simple: Lieutenant General Wu had staked his last and most crucial asset, practically everything, on Nanjun! He knew it was the final barrier to his stronghold; if it fell, he would completely lose his chance of a comeback. Therefore, he stored most of his looted food and supplies there, and he also concentrated the 50,000 elite troops he still had control over, who were relatively loyal, into several fortified cities in Nanjun that served as strategic supports.

Wu Can's orders to these defenders were simple yet brutal: defend to the death! No matter what happened outside, no matter how the enemy provoked them, never leave the city to fight! Relying on towering walls, abundant food and supplies, and rolling logs and stones, turn each city into a grinding mill that devours the blood and time of the Southern Border Army!

Astride his warhorse, Ying Bu gazed at the fortified city before him, its strategic position entrenched in banners and dotted with shadowy figures. His thick brows knitted together. The forces he commanded were truly stretched thin. Hanzhong needed defending, a springboard for the army's northward advance. Yangping Pass, a potential choke point, was crucial, requiring nearly 20,000 elite troops. Another 5,000 troops were needed to maintain order and deterrence in the direction of Xianyang. The total number of infantry and cavalry he could command for the assault on Nanjun was, at most, less than 35,000.